


For the Record

by whitefang (radialarch)



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: DADT, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 19:31:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radialarch/pseuds/whitefang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's confidence in the way Watson holds a gun, but she won't tell Sherlock why she quit the ROTC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the Record

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, still archiving old tumblr ficlets. Inspired by [this post](http://minionier.tumblr.com/post/23687632923/i-just-headcanoned-so-hard), which discussed "don't ask, don't tell" (still in effect at that point) and Joan's lack of military background.
> 
> Originally posted [here](http://radialarch.tumblr.com/post/24373267872/so-have-an-elementary-ficlet-because-this-also) way before, er, _Elementary_ actually aired. Whoops. I like to think that the characterization still works.

“Holmes, watch out!” Joan shouts, and to his credit Holmes immediately flattens to the ground. Joan allows herself a brief smile before peering through the window, then slips into stance and pulls the trigger -- and it all comes back so easily, the motions ingrained into muscle memory.

The man in the other building stops firing.

“There,” she says, a bit of breathless satisfaction creeping into her voice as she nudges the safety back on and stows the pistol. “Feel free to call the police now.”

But Holmes, instead of pulling out his phone, is on his feet and looking at her with a speculative gleam. “You never said you used to be in the army,” he says.

“Holmes,” she starts in warning, but he forges on, shaking his head.

“No, not the army proper -- best guess would be ROTC, but not for long, one, two years, tops. Why?”

He’s circling around her, examining her in a way that’s even more disconcerting than usual. “Holmes,” she says sharply as she grabs an arm to hold him in place. “Do shut up.”

Holmes shoots a surprised glance at the fingers digging into his arm and takes a step back. “I’ll find out,” he says, completely unapologetic.

“I know,” she replies. “But don’t expect me to tell you whether you’re right.”

*

It’s a quiet weekend, so they’re sprawled out on the couch with instant ramen and something mindless on the TV. Holmes has on an extremely worn t-shirt, and the ink-lined feathers that dip below the left sleeve catch Joan’s eyes. She twirls some noodles on her fork, trying not to look too hard.

“Yes,” Holmes says absently.

“Hmm?”

“I was rather high when I got it,” he clarifies, turning down to look at the tattoo. “Didn’t regret it when I came down, though.”

“All right,” she says, careful, not quite sure what he wants. And Holmes -- he’s the last person who would think himself an angel. So what does it mean, then?

She thinks he might be saying something else, but when she straightens and raises her eyes to meet his, he suddenly grins instead and asks, “Did you already have a girlfriend, or was it out of principle?”

“What?” she sputters, sitting up with a snap.

“It’s a simple question, Watson. When you had to quit the ROTC. Which was it?”

“I thought I told you I wasn’t going to give you answers.”

“Yes,” he shrugs. “But you never told me not to ask.”

She gives him a glare and goes back to her ramen, only to look up again when a thought strikes. “Holmes, were you just--did you tell me about the tattoo as a bribe for information?”

“It’s only a bribe if it works,” he says, unabashed.

“That’s not--don’t do that,” she says. “Just...don’t.”

Holmes stares at her for a long moment. “Fine,” he says, finally, and reaches for the remote to turn the volume up.

“For the record,” she says softly, almost inaudible under the sound of the television, “I was in love.”


End file.
